Green Tip #19 - Recipes and Remedies for Everyday Living - Odors and Stains

Howdy All!

Wow! Can you believe it’s almost August?! It’s amazing how something you can’t see, specifically time, whizzes us thru this life, huh? Sneaky little phenomenon! I think time must be an acronym for Traveling In My Existence! Ok, I’m getting side-tracked again! Oh, my mind is such a wandering vessel!

Coming back to the point, sneaky phenomena brings me to today’s tip:

Green Tip #19–Recipes and Remedies for Everyday Living– Odors and Stains

You can’t go thru life without encountering, creating and combating odors and stains. Unfortunately, many stain removers and air fresheners are not only toxic to pets and humans, but can damage your fabrics after repeated use, or in some cases, make the situation worse.

Once again, you can make use of everyday household items, which are safe for consumption, to eradicate offensive odors and stains. Here are just a few:

• When vacuuming, rather than sprinkle commercial carpet deodorizers, dip a cotton ball in your favorite essential oil and put it in the vacuum bag. The cotton ball will infuse the air with a pleasant scent and you’ll eliminate breathing carpet powder and/or the powder settling deep into the pile.
• Pour a cup of vinegar in a small dish and place in areas of the home prone to odors, such as the bathroom, laundry room, kitchen and under your sinks. This works well in the microwave, also; just be sure to remove it before microwaving!
• A simple tip for offensive odors in the bathroom: strike a wooden match and let the sulfur head burn off. Blow out before the wood burns. The sulfur immediately removes the odor.
• When a carpet stain occurs, blot the stain, then rub it with club soda and a clean cloth. Place paper towels over the wetness until dry. Club soda won’t soak the carpet or produce stains in the padding underneath.

• To eliminate pet stains on the carpet, use the same premise as above, substituting equal parts vinegar and water. The vinegar will erase the odor. (I have a friend who swears white vinegar runs thru my veins. I'm beginning to see why he thinks so!)·To clean coffee stains from your china, use a mixture of salt and vinegar. Rub with a soft cloth and rinse.
• For coffee pots, fill the pot with water and ¼ cup salt. Brew the mixture then discard the salt water near your garden to repel pests. You can also run vinegar thru the brew cycle, but you’ll need to follow with several pots of plain water to remove the vinegar taste.
• If you have rusty hardware, such as nails, nuts and bolts, drop an effervescent tab in a bowl of water and add the hardware. Swish the parts around and they’ll come out clean!
• When coloring your hair, rub conditioner around the hairline to avoid coloring your skin. In the event the color drips, simply wipe with a cold wet cloth. It’ll come right off and no one will know you’re a DYI-er!
• If you spill red wine on your clothing, dab with a clean cloth, then “spill” white wine over the stain. Let dry for 30 minutes and rinse. Ah, the old algebraic two-negatives-make-a-positive trick! (remember Maxwell Smart?)
• And finally (for today, anyway), when cleaning your cast-iron skillets (never, ever use soap!), sprinkle course salt in the skillet and rub with a paper towel or cloth to remove stuck-on food. Be sure to periodically re-season your skillets for best performance.

That’s about it for this week. I gave myself a “lazy day” yesterday, so I need to hustle to catch up with myself! As always, your tips and comments are welcome! Enjoy your week…….

Peace,

Bravewarrior